Never Again
by redddagger
Summary: With Michael finally returned to his family, the Scofield family has to adjust to their new, free life.


Michael didn't know where he was. It was foggy and dim in the hallway stretched out before him. The white walls were spinning around him and even though he was moving, he made no progress. It was empty besides him but he heard a faint whimper. His head whipped around the direction of the distressed call. He was struck with dizziness, fell hard against the wall, and decided to feel the tiles under his fingers. He finally made the hallway out to be apart of a hospital. He wasn't in anyway hurt, so his confusion lived on. What was he doing here?

"Hello? Can someone help me?" Michael called out against the tiled walls.

Finally, the whimper turned into a familiar voice. It was calling his name, loud and clear. His body suddenly allowed him to stand to his feet soberly and follow the voice. Every door he passed in the hall, he looked into; hoping to find the voice. So far, he couldn't find it. The sadness in the voice broke his heart causing tears to flood his vision. He paused in his tracks again, wiping the wetness from his face.

Finally, he reached the last door and peeked his head in the doorway. His heart stopped. Before him laid his wife in a hospital bed. There were dark circles around her eyes that were barely open. Her stare bore holes into Michael's eyes. He shuffled closer to her, letting out a pained cry.

"Sara… What are you doing here?" Michael asked as he reached for her. However, an invisable force restricted him. He couldn't touch her. He could only look at her.

"You put me in here." She whispered sadly, glancing at her patient file. Michael understood what she was motioning to and he slowly picked it up in his hands. He glanced down at the clipboard and read the scribbled words. _Morphine Overdose._ Michael felt his heart sink. "Michael, you put me in here!" She yelled at him, but her words faded to a weak cry. All he could do was cry with her.

Sara stirred from her sleep from the sound of Michael whimpering beside her. She rolled her body over to face him, worried. He was twisting and turning violently all the while sobbing sadly. Sara rubbed her eyes to see him clearer. She placed her hands on his arm trying to hold him in place. His body yanked from her hands twisting the other way, then back to her. His body finally stilled when she put her hand on his chest.

"Shh.. Michael it's just me. It's just me, sweetheart. I'm here." Sara soothed when Michael's eyes began to flicker open. His hand smoothed over the top of hers and tears fled down his cheeks. He forced himself to sit up and stop the attack his emotions played over him. Sara continued to worry about his current condition. She traced her hand over his thigh to his knee, then slid it up to cup one side of his face.

"Was it a bad dream?" Sara whispered, pulling his face to look at her. He put his hand over hers and nodded. She used her other hand to snake around his waist and urged him to lay his head on her chest. He gave in and wrapped himself around Sara's body. He squeezed her body close to him.

"Wanna talk about it?" She whispered against his head.

"Well, I don't think I'll be going to sleep any time soon," Michael sighed into her, "I'm sorry." Michael lifted his head to look into her eyes. She sensed the deeper feeling that haunted him. She could read him like a book in his vulnerable state of mind. Other times, not so much. But now, she knew he needed her. He gave her a longing look of regret and sorrow that nearly broke her heart.

"You're sorry for what?" Sara asked quietly. He sniffled and pressed himself back into her. Whatever he dreamt of, really struck him hard. Sara held him in her arms. She waited for a response while rubbing the short hair on his head. Michael sighed and sniffled again.

"I'm sorry for involving you. Ripping your life away from you. Just to give Linc his. I'm sorry." Michael pulled away from her and put his face in his hands. Sara almost chuckled, not because she thought it was funny, but because he had no idea how much he actually _saved_ her.

"Michael." Sara cupped his face again, "If you keep crying about something you're completely wrong about, you're gonna wake that beautiful boy of ours up." Michael suddenly felt his heart flutter. He was sitting in the arms of his _wife._ His _son_ was sound asleep in the room down the hall. What he's worked so hard the last seven years for was finally his again. He wasn't in Yemen. His life and his family wasn't controlled by Poseidon anymore. He had the two loves of his life in his house and the other was visiting his nephew. He was a free man in every sense of the word.

"I dreamt of you in the hospital," Michael whispered, "It was when you, uh, overdosed. After we broke out." Sara felt saddened by the memory, but she knew she had forgiven him for all that. She couldn't find the words to make him believe that she had. So, instead, she leaned in and placed her lips over his. It had been about six months since she had saved him in Crete. The kiss they shared that night, the familiarity they both tasted, Sara actually never got used to. Every kiss they shared from then Sara savoured like it was their last. She was determined not to lose him again. The kiss was short but they both felt the love behind it.

"How bout' some coffee?" Sara asked, slipping out of the comforter, then onto the floor. Michael's eyes followed her, then he slowly nodded. He swung his legs over the side of the mattress and followed her to the kitchen. As soon as they approached Mike's room in the hallway, Sara stopped in her tracks and Michael put his arm around her waist. She wrapped her arms around him from the side and they both watched their son in his slumber. Michael focused on the way his chest would rise and fall again and again.

"You and I. We made him. That beautiful boy," Sara reassured Michael, "He has your mind. Hmm. And he has your eyes. God, those beautiful eyes. He has that devilish smile of yours too." Michael let out a soft, low chuckle and kiss the top of Sara's hair.

"I don't know what you're talking about. All I've ever seen was you in him. Look at the hair on that kid! And that laugh? Almost had me fooled for yours." Sara giggled and looked up at her husband who was lost in his gaze at their son. She felt so much love for him in that moment. Emotions overflowed her mind and ultimately made her appreciate his presence.

"Don't ever leave me again. I mean it, Michael. You are the love of my life." Sara sighed.

Michael gave her a boyish grin, "Never again, doc."


End file.
